Coloni C3B

Coloni C3B

Constructor:	Coloni
Designer:	Christian Vanderpleyn
Predecessor:	Coloni C3
Successor:	Coloni C3C
Technical specifications
Engine:	Subaru MM 3512 V12
Wheelbase:	2850 mm
Tires:	Goodyear
Petrol:	Agip
statistics
Driver:	Bertrand Gachot
Starts Victories Poles SR - - - -
World Cup points:	-
Podiums:	-
Leadership laps:	-
Status: end of season 1990

The Coloni C3B was a Formula 1 racing car of the Italian team Coloni , who in 1990 was reported to be eight races. The vehicle was powered by a 3.5 liter twelve-cylinder engine that had been developed by Motori Moderni for Subaru . The car was unsuccessful: it was unable to pre-qualify once.

The background

The Formula 1 team Coloni entered into an alliance with the Japanese automobile manufacturer at the end of 1989, which, in the wake of Honda and Yamaha, sought to participate in the Formula 1 World Championship. Subaru had a twelve-cylinder engine developed by Motori Moderni and was looking for a team that was ready to use this engine. Minardi had done some tests in 1989 but decided against using the Subaru engine. Coloni was ready - mainly for economic reasons - to use the engine in 1990. The joint plans provided for the engine to be installed in an existing Coloni chassis until a chassis to be developed by Coloni and tailored to the Subaru engine was ready for use. The Coloni C3B should therefore initially only serve as a transitional model. In fact, it remained the only Formula 1 car with a Subaru engine: contrary to the original intentions, a chassis designed exclusively for the Subaru was never developed.

Technology and races

The C3B was a derivative of the Coloni C3 introduced in 1989 . One of the two C3 models was converted in the rear area in such a way that it could accommodate the twelve-cylinder engine called Subaru MM3512 instead of the Cosworth eight-cylinder that was previously used. The heavy and wide engine required some modifications. The engine reached into the side pods so that the radiators had to be moved far forward. As a result, the side pods extended to the monocoque. The cooling openings in the side pods were narrow. The cooling air was mainly drawn in through two chimneys on the side pods. Overall, the car was very heavy; According to some press reports, the weight at the beginning of the season was around 100 kg above the minimum weight. The power was transmitted via a Minardi gearbox.

The team's only driver was Bertrand Gachot . In individual sources, Enzo Coloni's son Paolo is given as a test driver; Whether he actually drove in the C3B is not documented. Gachot did not have a single pre-qualification. The engine was inefficient and unreliable; Bertrand Gachot saw the problem mainly in the car, which he did not consider Formula 1 worthy.

After the French Grand Prix , the collaboration between Coloni and Subaru was ended. In the subsequent race in Great Britain Coloni entered again with the unchanged C3C; however, the car had no more external evidence of Subaru. Coloni then continued his Formula 1 involvement with the C3C model and a Cosworth engine.

Results

driver	Start number	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th	16	Points	WM
1990
Bertrand Gachot	31	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0	DNPQ 0									0	-

Legend
colour	abbreviation	meaning
gold	-	victory
silver	-	2nd place
bronze	-	3rd place
green	-	Placement in the points
blue	-	Classified outside the point ranks
violet	DNF	Race not finished (did not finish)
	NC	not classified
red	DNQ	did not qualify
	DNPQ	failed in pre-qualification (did not pre-qualify)
black	DSQ	disqualified
White	DNS	not at the start (did not start)
	WD	withdrawn
Light Blue	PO	only participated in the training (practiced only)
	TD	Friday test driver
without	DNP	did not participate in the training (did not practice)
	INJ	injured or sick
	EX	excluded
	DNA	did not arrive
	C.	Race canceled
		no participation in the World Cup
other	P / bold	Pole position
	SR / italic	Fastest race lap
	*	not at the finish, but counted due to the distance covered
	()	Streak results
	underlined	Leader in the overall standings

literature

• Adriano Cimarosti: The Century of Racing. Cars, tracks and pilots. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01848-9 .
• Alan Henry: Auto Course 1990/91 . Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1991, ISBN 0-905138-74-0 .
• David Hodges: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars. Crowood Press, Marlborough 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2 (English).
• David Hodges: Racing cars from A – Z after 1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 .
• Pierre Ménard: La Grande Encyclopédie de la Formule 1st 2nd edition. Chronosports, St. Sulpice 2000, ISBN 2-940125-45-7 (French).
• All twelve. In: motorsport aktuell . Issue 4, 1990 (report on the Subaru engine).

Web links

• Picture of Bertrand Gachot in the Coloni C3B Subaru.
• Picture of the Subaru engine in the rear of the Coloni C3B.